Essential Nighttime Running Gear to Help You Be Seen and Heard

With the summer heat beating down, some runners may find the best time to run is when the sun sets and the light is somewhere between a dusky blue and a midnight black. It's at this time that hopefully some of the summer heat and humidity has diminished, allowing for better performance.
However, being able to run at peak isn't the only thing to consider for those that prefer running during nighttime. Another key element to running at night is to ensure that you're safe by being visible to drivers and other athletes alike. That means wearing neon colored or other visibility enhancing fabrics as well as carrying identification with you.
From shoes to clothing to accessories, our list of gear will light your way and help to keep you safe from dusk to dawn. You may want to consider several pieces of gear to maximize your visibility.

Nathan Strobe Light

The Nathan Strobe Light is a small, lightweight solution that will ensure that you're seen while logging those nighttime miles. The LED bulbs cast even, white light and can be set in two modes - constant on and strobe mode which is bright and fast - in either case you won't be missed.
Because it's equipped with LED light bulbs, you can expect a long battery life to the tune of over 100 hours of illumination.
The Nathan Strobe Light also comes with a secure clip so that you can attach it easily to your clothing, belt, or just about anything that you'd want to clip it to.
It's also water-resistant making it perfect for any weather condition.

Nathan Light Spur

The Light Spur clips easily to the heel of your shoes. Just like the Nathan Strobe Light, it has two modes; solid, streaming light or flashing, strobe-like light. In either case you'll be clearly visible while training in low-level light.
The one complaint that some people have is that for some reviewers, the spur doesn't stay on most likely due to the shoe type. It would appear that this would work best with shoes that have a solid heel for the spur to grab onto which means most minimalist shoes probably won't be a good fit for this product.

ASICS FujiTrail Hoodie

For runs when there isn't much sunlight and it's a bit chilly, the FujiTrail Hoodie is perfect to keep you visible with its 360 degree reflectivity as well as warm.
The fit is slim but not body hugging and the hoodie will cover your forehead if you want it to. Additionally, it comes with a zippered chest pocked and two envelope side pockets, making it perfect to stash your keys, ID and any other small items.

Nike Men's Dri-Fit Reflective Running Shorts

Whether you're running day or night, these shorts are great for runners. They have mesh inserts and are made of Dri-FIT fabric to help sweat evaporate and keep you dry. The shorts also have a fitted-media player pocket and have reflective stripes at the side.

ASICS Women's Everysport II Short

The fabric is thin and made with stretch microfiber fabric so that they fit your legs close without feeling like they're being bearhugged.
They have 100% moisture transfer liner to help keep you dry as well as mesh panels to ensure breathability and comfort. Reflective elements on the sides for added visibility.

Tuvizo Reflective Vest

The Tuvizo Reflective Vest is easy to slip onto any top, it's fully adjustable, lightweight and offers reflectiveness for the torso area, making it a great gift for any runner that likes nighttime runs.

Nightlife Mesh Cap

Great stitching on this hat and well constructed, this hat is great for both day and night. During the day, wear this hat to block the sun. At night, the silver lining on this mesh hat will shine when hit with light coming from a car's headlight, making it safer for you during a run at night.
Another great thing about this hat is because it's made of mesh, it's quite breathable and the material wicks away sweat quite well so it'll dry out quickly for your next run.

Merrell Mix Master Move 2

Great for both the road and trail running, the Merrell Mix Master has a breathable mesh, is lightweight and provides very good support and shock absorption for your feet. Not only that, but it's vegan friendly footwear!
The shoes comes with reflective details for increased visibility in low light. The Mix Master Move truly is a perfect shoe for anyone looking to transition from a beefy supportive shoe to something that's more minimalist.

ASICS Gel-Excite 2

The ASICS Gel-Excite 2 have upper mesh for breathability and the Rearfoot GEL® Cushioning System to help with shock absorption upon impact.
These sneakers are affordable, durable, comfortable and have reflective materials help keep you visible in low-light conditions.

Lock Laces Reflective Elastic No Tie Shoelaces

Don't you just hate when your shoe laces come undone during a run? Thankfully, with Lock Laces, you no longer have to double knot your laces or make a pit stop to tie them again.
The Lock Laces are basically an upgrade for your shoe laces. They use a bungee-style chord design that you custom fit to your sneaker and then lock into place with a patented locking system so that you never have to tie your sneakers again.
They're water resistant, fit any style and size of sneaker, and most importantly are reflective, making them a perfect addition for the night.

Road ID

Don't feel like bring your license with you? Wear a Road ID which has your contact information in case anything happens to you while on a run.
The Road ID 's main band consists of a nylon material that's comfortable against your skin and washable in case you smell it up with your sweat. Additionally, two strips of 3M Scotchlite reflective material are stitched into band to help reflect oncoming light and provide additional visibility in low light situations.
If you carry your phone with you while running, then you can additionally, or instead, download the free Road ID app which will display your emergency contact info even in a situation where your phone is locked. The app also comes with a feature called eCrumb (iTunes/Android) that allows your family or friends to track you during a run.

Runbell

Price: $25.00 - Amazon
Rating: 5/5 with 9 reviews

The latest must-have fitness accessory for urban runners as written by Outside. The Runbell is lightweight, adjustable to fit all hand sizes and stylish. It features a higher quality brass bell to create a loud, but pleasant ring that will alert any runners along the way at night.

Great Prizes!

Prize for winners: Runbell Running Shirt made from high quality technical fabric + Exclusive Kickstarter Runbell + a brand new Runbell 2.0
The number of prizes depends on the amount of entries we get. Enter now for a better chance of winning!
More details coming soon.

Schedule - June 11th to July 31st

June 11th - Starting Date!
July 9th - First Prize Round
July 23rd - Second Prize Round
July 31st - Final Selection for Grand Prize
We have allowed enough time to get your video and photos worked out, but submit early for a better chance of winning!

Great Prizes!

Grand Prize: Runbell Running Shirt made from high quality technical fabric + Exclusive Kickstarter Runbell + a brand new Runbell 2.0
Runner Up Prize: Exclusive Kickstarter Runbell
All Participants: Coupon for $10 off Runbell website
The number of prizes depends on the amount of entries we get. Enter now for a better chance of winning!
More details coming soon.

Schedule - June 11th to July 31st

June 11th - Starting Date!
June 25th - First Prize Round
July 9th - Second Prize Round
July 23rd - Third Prize Round
July 31st - Final Selection for Grand Prize
We have allowed enough time to get your video and photos worked out, but submit early for a better chance of winning!

Buying a Commuting Pass - Is it Really Worth It?

I live in Tokyo, a crazy dense city full of people and trains. Almost everyone gets to work by taking the train, but over the past few years more and more people are choosing good old fashioned biking, walking, or run commuting. For the past year or so I gave up buying a commuting pass. Since I run commute so much, the cost just didn't seem to add up. Now one year later I sit down to actually calculate whether I should have been buying a commuting pass this past year. The short answer is: it depends.
The costs for a one trip ride to my office is a 200 yen bus ride and a 190 yen train ride. That adds up to 390 yen which is a little over 3 dollars each way. I have long given up the bus and just choose to walk 25 minutes to the station. I love the walk and do not like the crowded bus. Therefore, every day I spend 380 yen on the train for getting to and from work.
If I were to buy a commuting pass then I have the following options: 1 month, 3 month, or 6 month. I used to buy the 6 month pass and forget about it.
I have been run commuting twice a week for the past three years. I love run commuting. I save time, avoid the crowded trains, and feel great when I get home. Plus I spend time with my kids at night instead of running around the river. Run commuting has been awesome and I can't recommend it more highly.
So how many times do I need to run a week to make run commuting pay more than the rail pass? The answer is almost exactly twice a week! Perfectly what I have been doing for the past three years. I should have ditched the commuting pass earlier. If you run twice a week from your office to home (or vice versa), then your run commuting will save you more money than a rail pass would. Add on top sick days, vacation days, and business trips when you don't ride the train and the rail pass is just not worth the money. Ditch it.
Once you ditch the rail pass you realize every day you run commute you will save money. Run more and you save more money. Finding the motivation for running is all about finding these virtuous cycles.
In case you don't live in Tokyo, then let me know the cost of your rail pass and daily commuting cost. I'll calculate the cost and see what is most cost effective.
Now the trains have improved dramatically over the years, but still they can be crowded. Check out this video for a train station to avoid at all costs:

TELL Marathon - Tomoko Wins 5th Place

On Sunday May 24th, my wife, son and I ran in the TELL run. Who is TELL? Check out their website for more info (http://telljp.com/) or for a quick blurb:

TELL is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing world-class, effective support and counseling services to Japan’s international community as well as helping to address the country’s growing mental health care needs.

Each year in spring TELL holds a 5k run, 10k run, and a 10k walk. They also have a kid's run. On their website the kid's run was marked as a 5k, but it was really a 400m loop around the track. My 3-year old son participated.
One of the challenges of running lately is finding the time between work and raising kids. Tomoko (my wife) has started to get into running now as well so we have to plan ahead to allow both of us the time to run. For the TELL run they staggered the two events. Therefore, one of us could run the 5k and the other could run the 10k. Tomoko took the 10k and I took the 5k. I had to finish in under 30 minutes or else my wife wouldn't be able to start.
Of course, just getting to an event with two kids early in the morning on the other side of Tokyo is the first challenge. We somehow managed to get out the door on time and onto the trains basically on time. Our one year old baby girl was full of energy the whole train ride up. The train ride was our warm up.
Once we got to Kawasaki Train station we were shocked at the size. The station was enormous. Unfortunately for us we got off on the wrong side of the station. The wrong side had no early morning buses running. We wouldn't make it to the race on time if we lugged ourselves back into the station to get to the other side. We hopped in a taxi instead.
Crossing over the flood banks we quickly spotted the race set up area.
We checked all three of us into the race and arrived early enough to get ourselves a nice looking TELL T-shirt.
The 5k race was up first. With a little bit of stretching I was ready to go. I would normally like to stretch, warm up, etc. But with two little ones you just do what you can.
The run was along the river trail which was a nice non-paved road. If the path is non-paved then you never have to worry about a stampede of bikers coming along, which is nice. The dirt path did dry out my mouth with all the dust in the air. Still, a lovely path to run on. We ran one way out and then ran all the way back for one 5k loop. The 3k marker was quite a bit too forward and the 4k marker was too far back, but the course was 5k perfect at the finish line.
The kids race started right after my 5K race so I missed my son's race. Tomoko held our daughter, Miho, and followed Kenny along his run. The aim of the race was to find all the animals: elephants, giraffes, lions, pandas. He loved the race and when he finished he got a bag full of toys from Toys'Rus.
A clown was there making balloons for all the kids too. Kenny got a dog with a lease and a sword with a holder.
I finished the race in a good time for me: 23'40". I thought I had been running slower so I know I can do faster next time. I haven't run a 5k run in a long time. Lately, all my running has been long 10k runs or more. I want to start working on gaining speed so I need to start running shorter distances in addition to the longer runs.
Tomoko had a little more than five minutes before she was off to run her 10K run. The 10k run was two loops of the 5k run. We cheered her as she passed to make her second loop. As Kenny and Miho were playing on the track some college athletes flew by us at full sprint. Those guys were fast and we made room and found somewhere else to play.
Kenny got his face painted by an artist at the race. In the shower at night, he cried and cried as the paint came off. He wanted to show his friends at Daycare the next day.
There were also two masseuse who were giving free hand massages and free body massages.
For Tomoko's first race debut she did quite well. She ran her 10K in 50'40" and won herself 5th place!
TELL had great prizes for the top 10 finishers of the 5K and the 10K run for both men, women, and young adults. One 11 year old boy won 3rd place in the men's division. He claimed himself a free dinner at a luxury restaurant in Tokyo. He didn't seem to excited. Tomoko won 5 yoga lessons at Yoga Tree. Two lucky winners also won a Runbell. We were very honored to support this race.
And after such a long morning, we finally got to sit down for a late lunch at Kawasaki station. Lunch tasted so good.